Macron says forced displacement of Gazans 'not acceptable response'

French President Emmanuel Macron today warned that Israel’s continued military operations in Gaza risk violating humanitarian principles, stressing that “ignoring humanitarian law and maintaining the situation in Gaza is not acceptable. Forced displacement of populations is not an acceptable response.”

“We cannot have double standards,” Macron said, adding: “We stand for the right of the Ukrainian people to sovereignty. We must do the same when it comes to Gaza.”

The humanitarian toll in Gaza has reached a critical level, he added during a joint press conference in Paris with Friedrich Merz, the newly elected German chancellor.

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“Since early March, access to humanitarian aid has been blocked. We’ve entered a phase where the wounded cannot be evacuated, and where people are cut off from food and medicine. This is the worst humanitarian situation Gaza has faced since the beginning of the war,” he added.

“Never have so many civilians been so long without access to food, medicine, or medical evacuation,” he said.

He reiterated calls for the release of captives and a resumption of a political process that would lead to a two-state solution.

Macron also emphasised France’s diplomatic efforts with Saudi Arabia and other regional partners to develop a mutual recognition framework ensuring both Palestinian statehood and Israel’s right to security.

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